Vocabulary ladder

A Christmas Carol

STAVE I: MARLEY'S GHOST

6,533 words. Everyday vocabulary (band A) covers 59% of the text; the hard 8% is 263 entries — all of them below.

A 58.7% (661 types) B 7.5% (300 types) C 4.0% (209 entries) D 3.0% (161 entries) E 0.8% (47 entries) N 3.8% (55 entries)

Band B — common reading vocabulary

A sample of 24 of 300 — you will meet these often; they are explained only at the fullest help level.

Band C — recognition checklist

All 209 upper-intermediate words in this chapter. Tick the ones you know; the rest are explained at the fullest help level.

Band D — advanced (161 entries)

broadwise
sideways on
butter-boats
little jugs for melted butter
cash-boxes
locked boxes for money
cellar-door
the door down to the cellar
coach-and-six
a coach drawn by six horses
coal-box
the box coal is kept in
coat-skirts
the hanging lower parts of a coat
coffin-nail
a nail of a coffin
counting-house ×4
the office where money accounts are kept
death-cold
cold as death
dog-days
the hottest days of summer
double-locked ×2
locked with two turns of the key
dressing-gown ×2
a loose robe worn at home
fellow-beings
other human beings
fellow-passengers
those travelling with us
fish-baskets
baskets for carrying fish
gas-lamps
street lamps burning gas
gas-pipes
pipes carrying gas
half-a-crown
an old British coin worth two and a half shillings
half-a-dozen
six
hide-and-seek
the hiding-and-finding children's game
ill-used ×2
badly treated
ill-will
unfriendly feeling
lumber-room ×2
a room for old stored things
money-changing
the trading of money
s-book
explained by the text itself
s-buff
explained by the text itself
self-contained
keeping to oneself
sitting-room
the family sitting room
twenty-fifth
the 25th
washing-stand
the stand that holds a wash basin
water-plug
the street water pipe
wine-merchant ×2
a dealer in wine
feather-beds
soft beds stuffed with feathers
gladsome
full of gladness
fire-guard
the metal screen set before a fire
blindman
from blindman's buff — a blindfold chasing game
middle-aged
of middle age
door-nail ×3
dead as a doornail: fully dead — an old saying
fellowmen
another human being
unavailing
unavailing: useless; helping nothing
great-coat ×2
a heavy overcoat
doubtfully
with doubt
fixedly
with a fixed stare
underdone
not cooked enough
shut-up
closed and locked
withal
as well — an old word
pigtail ×3
hair worn twisted into a tail behind the head
gaily
merrily
undigested
undigested: not yet broken down in the stomach
mourner ×2
one who grieves at a funeral
regale
to delight with a treat
resounded
to ring out loudly
proffering
to hold out an offer
business-like
practical and orderly
rashly
without thinking of the danger
knocker ×5
the metal ring for knocking on a door
grind-stone
the turning stone tools are sharpened on; hard work
lateness
the being late
nightcap
a cap worn in bed
portly
stout and dignified
astonish
greatly surprised
hideously
horribly
rime
white frost
beckoned
to signal with the hand to come
facetious
joking; playful
thither
to that place
brazier
an open metal basket for a fire
stiffened
grown stiff
fain
gladly; willingly
gnawed ×2
to chew at steadily
congenial
agreeable; of one's own kind
drooping
to hang down limply
chink
a narrow crack; the ring of coins
cordially
with warm friendliness
clanked · clanking ×2
a dull metallic ring
grope
to feel one's way with the hands
perspiration
sweat
tacitly
without saying it aloud
tassels ×2
a hanging bunch of threads
sorrowful
full of sorrow
mournful ×2
full of mourning
couldn ×2
could — couldn't: could not
impropriety
improper conduct
wringing
to twist and squeeze
aldermen
senior officers of a city
hob
the shelf at the side of a fireplace for keeping pots warm
benevolence
kindly good will
hearse ×2
the carriage that carries a coffin
wouldn
would — wouldn't: would not
gruff
rough and deep of voice
incredulous
refusing to believe
twinkling
in a twinkling: in an instant
faltered · faltering ×2
to speak with faltering breaks
frightful
causing fright
muttered
to speak low in the throat
sleet
half-frozen falling rain
implored
to beg with all one's heart
indicting
to charge with a crime
apparition ×2
a sudden ghostly appearance
astonishment
great surprise
roved
to wander; roved: given to wandering
veneration
deep reverence
vigour
strength and force
wheezing
to breathe with a whistling sound
disjointed
broken apart; disconnected
swoon
a fainting fit
pelt · pelting ×2
to strike with blow after blow
thickened
grown thick
garret
a room at the top of a house, under the roof
breeches
knee-length trousers
countenance
the face; composure
mumbled
to speak low and unclearly
procuring
getting hold of
trifle
a thing of no importance
deuce
the devil — a mild oath
deference
respectful yielding
caustic
bitingly sharp
crumb
a tiny piece of bread or cheese
executor
one who carries out a will
bestow · bestowed ×3
given as a gift
cask · casks ×2
a barrel
livid
gray-blue as a bruise
extremity
the farthest end; the last resort
infernal
hellish; devilish
grocers
a seller of household foods
ruddy ×3
red and healthy of face
fastened
fixed firmly on
vapour
steam or mist
blot
a spot or stain
incessant ×2
never stopping
wag
to swing from side to side
replenish
filled up again
stave
a verse of a song — this book calls its chapters staves
trembled
to shake finely
shivered
to tremble with cold or fear
vibrate
to tremble with sound
destitute
left with nothing
emphatically
with insistent force
impenetrable
impossible to pass through
dreary
gloomy and dull
gait
a way of walking
clasped ×2
to hold tight in the arms
scant
barely enough
wailings
a long crying sound
relinquished
to give up
resolute
firmly determined
abode
a home; dwelling place
inexplicable
impossible to explain
penance
suffering taken on to pay for wrong
furnish
fitted out with furniture
grating
harsh and scraping
growl · growled ×2
a low angry rumble
stooped
to bend down
snuffed
powdered tobacco for the nose
grate
with thanks; thankfully
rapture
carried-away joy
shillings ×2
an old British coin; twenty made a pound
thaw
melting of snow and ice
extinguished
put out
palpable
plain enough to touch

Band E — rare & archaic (47 entries)

double-ironed
chained with double irons
foggier
more foggy
poulterers
a seller of chickens, geese, and turkeys
self-accusatory
blaming oneself
slily
in a sly way
splinter-bar
the crossbar of a coach the horses pull on
irresolution
inability to decide
waggish
playfully joking
imploringly
begging with looks
tight-fisted
mean with money
solemnised
to mark with due ceremony
piteously
in a way that calls for pity
inexpressibly
beyond words
legatee
one left something in a will
unhallowed
not made holy
enshrouded
to wrap round and hide
ironmongery
goods made of iron
sturdily
strongly; firmly
sullenly
in gloomy ill humor
residuary
receiving what is left of an estate
entreaty
an earnest plea
liberality ×2
open-handed giving
tremulous
trembling
fettered
chained; bound
covetous
hungry to own what others have
kerchief
a cloth worn over the head
indignantly
with angry protest
congealed
to set solid; clot
misanthropic
hating mankind
intimation
a first faint sign
beguiled
to pass time pleasantly; to charm
girded
bound around the waist
cravat
a cloth tied round the neck
shrewdly
with sharp cunning
wrung
forced out by pressure
dirge
a song of mourning
lamentation
loud crying grief
shrivelled
dried up and wrinkled
balustrades
the rail and posts of a staircase
peal
a ringing burst of sound
simile
a saying that compares one thing to another
sprigs
a small cut twig
gruel ×2
thin boiled oatmeal
morose
gloomy and sour
bristling
with hair standing stiff
ponderous
heavy and slow
forbearance
patient holding back

False friends — common words wearing old senses (7)

awful
full of awe — the old sense here
condition
social rank — the old sense here
fain
gladly — the old sense here
mortal
human — the old sense here
sensible
aware — the old sense here
use
habit; custom — the old sense here
witness
consider as proof — the old sense here

Names (20)

belshazzars
a Bible figure painted on the old Dutch fireplace tiles
cains
a Bible figure painted on the old Dutch fireplace tiles
abels
a Bible figure painted on the old Dutch fireplace tiles
cornhill
a street in the City of London
bedlam
the famous London madhouse
abrahams
a Bible figure painted on the old Dutch fireplace tiles
dunstan
Saint Dunstan, who caught the Devil by the nose in the old tale
sheba
a Bible figure painted on the old Dutch fireplace tiles
ebenezer ×2
Scrooge's first name
scrooge ×127
Ebenezer Scrooge, the cold rich old man of this story
pharaoh
a Bible figure painted on the old Dutch fireplace tiles
treadmill
the prison wheel the poor were set to walk
marley ×28
Jacob Marley, Scrooge's business partner, seven years dead
camden
Camden Town, the poor London district where the Cratchits live
jacob ×9
Marley's first name
genius
the ruling spirit — here, of the weather
Lord Mayor
the chief officer of the City of London
Saint Paul's Churchyard
the open square round St Paul's Cathedral in London
Union workhouses
the joint public workhouses where the poor were sent
dead as a door-nail
fully and finally dead — an old saying